CITY OF BELLE GLADE

BELLE GLADE, FLORIDA

Her Soil is Her Fortune

Belle Glade is the largest city within the 2,862,000 acre subtropical Everglades in the heartland of Florida. Originally known as Hillsboro, Belle Glade was incorporated in 1928 with a population of less than 500. The earliest known inhabitants of the Belle Glade area were the Calusa Indians. Their prehistoric habitation and burial mounds are located just west of Belle Glade in Chosen which is known by many as the "Indian Mound." These sites were excavated by the Smithsonian Institute during the early 1930s and later by archaeologists from the Florida State Museum in Gainesville.

The Seminole Indians generally associated with this part of Florida are descendants of tribes from Georgia and Alabama who moved further and further south as white men pushed for expansion and development of new lands. It was the Seminoles who gave the lake region the name of "Okeechobee", meaning Land of Big Water.

One of the colorful versions concerning the naming of the community tells that a blackboard was placed in a hotel lobby where suggestions could be written on the board. The suggestion receiving the most votes was that it should be called Belle Glade since the settlement was "the Belle of the Glades."

The Hillsboro Community Council was formed in 1919 and operated as the town's governing body until its incorporation on April 9, 1928. This council was directly responsible for the location here of Everglades Experiment Station, a University of Florida agricultural research and experiment station. The center's name is now Everglades Research and Education Center.

On September 16, 1928, a storm more devastating than any other predecessor blew in from the Atlantic coast and left monumental destruction. The force of the wind simply pushed all of the water from the northern portion of Lake Okeechobee and sent it surging madly through the area. In the Glades the devastation the hurricane left the area's hardy pioneers an unimaginable legacy of death. Estimates of the death toll range from 1,600 to 2,500; many were never found.

The loss of life caused by the storm brought to national prominence the need for Lake Okeechobee flood control. Following Pres. Herbert Hoover's visit in 1929, federal and state governments agreed to undertake the construction of a levee. Today, the Hoover Dike includes approx. 85 miles of levee whose height varies from 34 feet upward. It is 22 feet above sea level and it is at least 5 feet above the highest point that the lake has ever reached.

The city motto "Her Soil Is Her Fortune" speaks the truth.. The soil is known as Black Gold which also speaks the truth in that the soil surrounding the Glades is rich black humus muck created from thousands of years of subtropical vegetation growth and decay. When early pioneers arrived in the area they realized that they had discovered a virtual paradise for growing crops. Although green beans led the way at one time in area production, today's most important crops are celery, lettuce, sweet corn (we think the world's best) and sugar cane. Also, the area has become known for its ornamental farms for landscaping and sod farms.

The Belle Glade Marina Campground has become a home away from home for many visitors who want to try their luck catching one of the "BIG O's" famous wide mouth bass. The campground offers full services, boat ramps and miniature golf. After practicing your putting skills here you can walk over to the challenging 18 hole public golf course.